Throwback Thursday: December 7, 2023

This letter dated December 7th, 1918, was sent to Moffat Library Librarian Margaret H. Seaman (1862-1927) as a response to her work in donating reading materials to the Otisville Hospital, 10 miles west of Middletown, New York. In 1917, the Executive Board of the American Library Association (ALA) established the Committee on Mobilization and War Service Plans to supply books and periodicals for troops stationed overseas, at training camps, and at hospitals across the United States.

Under the directions of Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress, and later Carl H. Milam, ALA was able to raise $5 million from public donations, establish thirty-six camp libraries, and distribute between 7 and 10 million books and periodicals to over 500 locations.

Although at this time we do not know how many items Ms. Seaman donated, we do know that under her leadership the library building was a hub of activity during World War One. Red Cross volunteers sewed surgical dressings in the community room (now our Teen Room), war bond rallies were held outside, and records of service were collected and submitted to New York State Historian James Sullivan as evidence of our community’s involvement in this global conflict.
For more information on this and our other historic resources, please contact the library at (845) 496-5483 x 326) or moffat@rcls.org today!